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Paul pitches tax cuts, 'freedom zones' for city

Sen. Rand Paul

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he will introduce legislation today to create "economic freedom zones" by dramatically lowering taxes in depressed areas such as Detroit and loosen visa rules to encourage foreign entrepreneurs to immigrate to the city, The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press reported. Paul, widely considered a potential presidential candidate for 2016, visited Detroit on Friday for a speech before the Detroit Economic Club and the opening of a new GOP office.

On the move

• Don Austinwill resign at year's end after two years as Detroit fire commissioner, the AP reported. A spokesman for Mayor Dave Bing said a replacement had not yet been named.

• Lormax Stern Development Co. of West Bloomfield Township received approval from the Roseville City Council to demolish a vacant building at Macomb Mall, which the company bought earlier this year. Demolition of the former Value City store is to begin in the next week.

• Brazilian investment bank Grupo BTG Pactualapplied to operate warehouses in the Detroit area. BTG Pactual Commodities Warehousing LLC filed an application with Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Detroit is the world’s second-largest repository for stockpiles of aluminum monitored by the London Metal Exchange.

• Sterling Heights-based General Dynamics Land Systems received a $28 million, five-year contract from the U.S. Army TACOM Contracting Command for research, development and testing in preparation for the Stryker Engineering Change Proposal upgrade program.

• Chrysler Group LLC’s Ram Trucks commercial "Farmer," which aired during the 2013 Super Bowl, took the Best of Show honor at the seventh annual D Show advertising awards gala sponsored by the Adcraft Club of Detroit. The commercial, created by the Dallas-based The Richards Group Inc., beat more than 500 entries.

• The founders of VisionBoards.co, a Web app and social networking platform for designing and ordering custom self-empowerment tools, beat 14 finalists to win the fifth annualStartup Weekend in Detroit and are among finalists from 200 cities around the world competing in the Global Startup Battle.

• Allen Park-based Belle Tire Distributors Inc.recently opened retail stores in Lapeer and Grand Blanc and will open one in Fort Gratiot late this year or early in 2014. The new stores will bring the retail network to 84 locations in Michigan and four in Ohio.

• Construction on an 84-unit senior living center at Henry Ford Medical Center-Cottage in Grosse Pointe Farms has begun and is expected to be completed next fall.

• The Detroit Tigers traded starting pitcher Doug Fister to the Washington Nationals for three young players, then signed free-agent relief pitcher Joe Nathan to a two-year contract.

• The Detroit City Football Club LLC, a semipro soccer team, was a victim of its own popularity on Cyber Monday, when its website, DetroitCityFC.com, temporarily crashed after the club made its 2014 season tickets available for sale.

Other news

• The Wayne County Commissionvoted to approve a nonbinding memorandum of understanding that is the next step in a proposed plan to sell the 15.5-acre site of the unfinished county jail, and nearby justice buildings, in downtown Detroit to Rock Ventures LLC for $50 million. The memorandum also must be approved by the county’s building authority, which meets this week.

• A $50 million mixed-use development with commercial and restaurant space, 600 apartment units and senior housing is planned on the east side of Ford Lake in Ypsilanti Township.

• Thirteen ambulances were added to the pool of vehicles donated by businesses and foundations to Detroit earlier this year. The new vehicles join 10 previously delivered ambulances, completely replacing the fleet. The ambulances and 100 new police cruisers were funded for $8 million.

• Macomb County will end the year with 10,000 more residents, $2 billion in new defense contracting awards, a new communication technology center and an $8.2 million Roseville mall renovation plan, County Executive Mark Hackel said at his third annual State of the County address.

• More than 80 teams registered for the Henry Ford Innovation Institute's HealthTech Challenge, offering $10,000 to each of five finalists and up to $100,000 in technology development in a competition focused on attacking the root causes of avoidable hospital readmissions. Entry deadline is Jan. 3.

• Led by an increase in residential building permits, Comerica Bank’s Michigan Economic Activity Indexjumped 4.2 percentage points in September to a level of 129.4 — 15.4 points above the average for 2012.

• Michigan is becoming a more economically competitive state but has much room to improve, according to a new study produced by the Michigan Chamber Foundation. The Northwood University Competitiveness Index ranked Michigan 39th, up from 47th in 2012, in general macroeconomic environment, state debt and taxation, workforce compensation and cost, labor and capital formation, and regulatory environment.

• Bipartisan anti-blight legislation that would subject violators to potential jail time and streamline procedures to garnish their wages won final approval from the Michigan Senate and is expected to be signed by Gov. Rick Snyder and take effect in March.